Process for treating copper.



F. L- ANTISELL.

PROCESS FOR TREATlNG COPPER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. I. 1912.

1,204,927. Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

WIT/VE 8E8 INVENTOR %QZM@ 3 A! m liwer EEA KL. ANTISELL, F PERTH Annoy, NEW JERSEY.

rnocEss Fort TnEA iNe corrEE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14., 1916.

Application filed November 1, 1912. Serial No.728,984.

To all whom it may concern 'Be it known that I, FRANK LINDEN ANTI- SELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Perth Amboy, county of Middlesex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Proccesses for Treating Copper, of which the following is a' specification.

My invention relates to the furnace for treating copper. I

The. objects of the invention will appear fromthe hereinafter description.

Before describing my improvements it may be well to briefly outline the prevailing process and 'accepte principles relating to the refining .of what is known as cathode copprocess ofand per which results from the electrolytic refining of copper. 1

Copper in cathode form will run in conductivity (Matthissen standard) as high as 102 per cent., and the copper contentsof said cathode will be as high as 99.97 per cent.

By the present process of melting the oathode copper into proper shape for drawing into wire or rolling into plates or cakes both the electricconductivity and copper contents are lowered by reason of the melting down being performed in anordinary reverbera tory furnace which is generally heated by coal, and the flame being only under partial control at. times, the character of the flame constituting changes from an oxidizing flame to a reduclng flame. While each kind of flame is valuable at the proper time in the melting down, at other times such a flame is detrimental. The tendency of the oxidizing flame is to form copper oxid as well as oxids of the other impurities that may be present in the molten copper, such as iron, zinc, etc.,

which are skimmed off with the oxid slag.

,The sulfur which has been-dissolved during the process of melting passes off as sulfur dioxid and part of the arsenic and antimony passes off as lower oxids. This oxidizing is generally facilitated by flapping or blowing air in the molten copper. After this the molten copper is subjected to the step in the art of what is known as poling where charcoal is spread over the surface of the molten copper and a stick of green wood is forced under the surface ofthe copper which reduces the oxids of copper-and to some ex- I tent the oxid impurities in-the molten copper. This step is carried on until theoxids of copper are reduced to some or of 1- per cent. If the step of poling is carriedto completely reduce the higher oxids, that is,

' the oxids of arsenic and antimonywhich are present, they are reduced toa metallic state and alloy with the copper, reducing its conductivity. In addition to reducing said oxids the copper absorbs the gases from the green wood and overpoles or spues are produced which give the copper a high pitch which makes it brittle and lower in conductivity. In this condition reflapping and rep'oling of the-molten copper is necessary. It is therefore evident that it is'desirable to reduce the oxids of copper to the lowest per cent. and still not affect the other oxids present, such as arsenic and antimony.

Attempts have been made by others to melt copper without contaminating it by the flame, which contamination is proportionate to the time the flame plays on the copper. One of. the various attempts to obtain this result-has been to melt the cathode copper under cover or blanket of suitable character in the nature of non-metallic salt of which boron trioxid is one, which will prevent the air and gases coming into contact with the copper as it melts. This attempt has been found to be unsatisfactory in practice, however, owing to the'increased amount of heat come these objections by preheating the copper and then melting it in a proper furnace and'conveying or transferring the meltedcopper from said furnace in its molten-condition under a blanket which covers the surface of the copper and prevents its contact with air, gas or othercontaminating .ele-

ments. While I prefer to per, yet it is not necessary.

My'process may be carried out by different apparatus, but in .the "accompanying drawing I have-shown two types of appara'tus especially adapted for my purpose.

This application is a. continuation in part of my prior application Serial No.

preheat the cop- 608,935, filed February 6, 1911.

. Referring to the drawing: Figure 1 is a section of a melting furnace and a purifying furnace showing the relative arrangement and the connection between the same. Fig.

2'is a sectional view of the preferred form of treating furnace. Fig. 3 is a section on line3 of Fig. 2. 1

In the drawingthe part marked A represents the melting furnace. 10 is the crucible 'thereof.-

11 is the superstructure for preheating the charge.

r a 12 represents the oil burners communicating with the furnace: to feed the oil fuel thereto.

.13 is a tap hole at the bottom of the furnace leading to the spout 14.

B is a reheating or treating furnace which has a closed chamber 15 having an opening 16 in the top thereof in communication with the spout 14. This chamber has'a tap hole 17 communicating with the spout 18. The

chamber 15 containspreferably carbon in a finely divided form or it may contain boron trioxid mixed with carbon also preferably in a finely divided form.. Under'the chamber 15 is a combustion chamber 19 heated by liquid fuel passing through the burner 20.

In operation the chargeW as fed into the furnace A is heated-and reduced to a molten state by the fuel passing through the burners 12. It is to be understood, of course, that the action of the flames in the open air causes more or less oxidationof the copper and the impurities containeditherein. The products of combustion pass up through the preheated I structure 11 and preheat the charge W. The molten copper passes through the tap hole 13, through the spout 14,-through the opening 16, into the chamber 15, through the carbon or boron-trioxid and carbon and rises in the chamber and causes said carbon or carbon and boron-trioxid to float upon the molten copper in the cham-' ber B, the said carbon or boron-trioxid and carbon forming a cover or blanket C over the molten metal. This molten copper is drawn from chamber 15, through the tap hole 17 into the spout 18, where it is conveyed to proper molds not shown. The molten metal in the. chamber 15 is kept in its proper heated conditipn by the burning of the fuel in the combustion chamber 19.

Referring to the construction shown by Figs. 2and 3, D is a furnace dividedinto two compartments 21 and 22 by the parti tion 23, leaving a passageway '24 between the two compartments.- The furnace is heated by. a supply of. liquid fuel through the burner 25. 26 is a stack communicating with the chamber 22. The bottom of the stack is inclined as shown at 27, dowh which the charge W is passed through an open- .ing 28 C'frepresents carbon preferably in "a finely divided form orboron-trioxid mixed with carbon. 29 is a tap hole closed by a plug of clay 30 in the usual manner. 31 is i an opening in the chamber 21 above the blanket. I

As shown in the drawing, the burners 12 and the burner 25 are supplied with valves for the purpose of so regulating the same as to produce an oxidizing flame.

Inoperation the furnace is heated by the fuel fed to the burner 25, the products of combustion passing up through the stack 26.

The charge W is 'fedthrough the opening 28,- down the incline 27, where it is preheated by the products of combustion. The charge falls down into the chamber '22, where it is reduced to a molten state. The molten charge passes through the passageway 24 and underneath the carbon C or boron-trioxid and carbon in the chamber 21, which metal in said chamber. The molten metal is forms a cover or'blanket over the molten drawn from the tap hole 29 by withdrawing the plug 30, when desired.

As indicated in the drawing, the melting down of the charge is accomplished by means of an oil fuel furnace which I term a combination melting and purifying furnace, the melting part being in the nature of a reheating furnace where thefiame after being thoroughly consumed in the combustion chamber passes over a relatively small bath of copper and then ascends through the stack or cupola of the furnace meeting the incoming charge of cathode sheets which are thereby heated to nearly a fusing temperature, the hearth or crucible addinglittle more than the heat of fusion to the already hoticoppe r sheets. This operation is carried on so rapidly and efiiciently that the copper -molten copper over the mass of unmelted copper on the bottom of the furnace.

To melt the copper off the bottom, it is necessary to fire the furnace hard for several hours, which operation during this period cannot be termed fusing in the strict meaning of the term, as it is rather one of I from the furnace at a much lower temperaor carbon itself, which acts as a reducing dissolving where the upper layer of cop-.

peris kept in a molten condition and the copper submerged is liquefied by the contact of the molten copper.

As the laws of efficiency of heating surfaces are based fundamentally upon the dif-. ference in degrees of temperature between the absorbing medium and the heat emature, resulting'in both an economy of fuel and time for melting.

The principal advantage gained by the improved process is .in decreasing the amount of foreign substances absorbed by the copper, by reason of the time interval reduced in minutes in place of hours for melting, and immediately after melting, .running into a separate compartment from r the melting compartment where it is refined by means of the boron-trioxid and carbon agent. It is therefore evident that by charging copper in the preheating chamber I am able to melt. continuously, transferring the same to the. purifying chamber and casting either continuously or intermittently as Idesire.

I prefer to build my furnace partitioned as shown by Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing and leavea large communicating portbetween the partition and bottom. of the furnace, and depend upon the thermal conduc tivity of thecopper for keeping the'metal in the reducing compartment at a suitable temperature for refining. This construction would also ofi'er some advantage due to the osmotic pressure whichwould be exerted be-' tween refined and unrefined, copper tending to keep "it in a nearly uniform condition throughout the melting compartment.

In carrying out my process, the pre=heating is efi'ected by meansof a heat which is not sufficient. to melt the copper, and therefore the step of pre-heatingin my process is clearly distinguishable from the initial action of the melting heat upon the copper. The

pre-heating 15- never accomplishedvby the action of the melting heat, but-is always accomplishedby aheat which is always lessthan the tmelting heat and insutfic ient' to 'acin this sense that I- have used thejwordpre heating? inthespecifica'tion and claims.

Having now described my invention dizing copper an what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is: p

I, l. The process of refining. copper which 1 consists in simultaneously melting and oxidizing copper and then passing the oxidized;

molten copper through carbon. r

* 3. The process of refining copper which consists in simultaneously melting and oxidizing copper and then passing the oxidized molten copper under a material containing carbon.

at. The process "of refining copper which 'consists in simultaneouslymelting and oxiconsists in simultaneously melting and oxi- V dizing copper and then passing the oxidized molten copper under a reducing agent.

5. The process of refining copper whichconsists in simuggneously melting and oxi conducting the oxidized molten copper'under a blanket of a material containing carbon.

' 6. The process. of refining copper. which,

comprises exposing the same to the heat of a furnace and its gases until reduced to a molten condition, then removing the copper from exposure 'to'said gases and into con-- tactwith carbon sufficient to purify said copper.

7 Theproces's of refining coppercons'isting in "exposing the same to the heat of a furnace and its gases until reduced to a moltencondition, then removing the copper from exposure to said gases, andpassingfsaid copper through andunder a protective:

flux and in contact with carbon.

8. The process of treating copper consist ing in exposing the-same to the heat'of a.

furnace and its gases untilreduced to a molten condition,-remov1ng the copper from exposure to said gases by passing said copper through and under a protecting flux of boron Y trioxid containing carbon, retaining Said copper in contact with the carbon, and then flowing said copper to a ladle or mold while out of contact with furnace gases.

9. The process of purifying copper associated with sulfur which consists in continuously causing copper to become molten consists in continuously melting ,and oxid1zing copper, continuously removing thefcop-f [tact with carbon until the and t0 the action of an I a reducing agent.

per,- and subjecting the copper a reducing medium. c

.12. The process of treating copper which consists in continuously melting'and oxidiz ing coppergand continuously reducing the to the action said melted and oxidized copper.

f purifyingmopper asso- 13. The process q ciated-with sulfur which consists in continuously causing the copper to become molten" thereby introducing therein copper oxid and then bringing the molten mass in congreater portion of the copper oxid is reduced. 1

.14. The process of refining cop'per'which consists in first melting and oxidizing the copper and thensubjecting the melted oxidi'zed mass tothe action of a reducing agent anhydrous body ,to separate 'oxid therefro 15. The process of refining copper which consists in first melting and oxidizing the copper. and then subjecting it to the action of a reducing agentj and a dissolving agent. 16. The process of refining copper which consists infirst melting .and oxidizing the copper and then subjecting it to the actionof a dissolving agent and to the action of 17. The proces'sof refining copper which consists in first melting-and. oxidizing the copper and then subjectingthemelted oxi reducing agents.

diz ed mass to the actionof dissolving and 18. The process of refining copper which consists in first melting and oxidizingthe copper and thensubjecting it to the action I of ,dissolvingv and reducing agents to ,co-

"act with the oxygen of, .the copper.

"19. The process of treating copper,which 40 means of the ihighly heated products of consists in melting copper 1n a chamber by combustion of a fluid fuel burner, remov-.

' and conducting the molten copper under a consists in preheating, copper, heating the ingthecopper to a point exterior of said chamber, and delivering the copper to a reducing medium.

20. The process of refining copper which consists in melting and oxidizing copper" blanket of. carbon.

21. The p'rocess*of refining-copper which preheated copper until it becomes molten,

consists in preheating the copper, heating 1 ten, and conducting; the molten copper consists in preheating copper, melting the prehea'ted copper in alfurnace, and c0nductwing or and conducting the molten copper through carbon. R 1* 22. The process of refining copper which the preheated copper until it becomes molthrough and under; a blanket of carbon. .23. The process of'refining copper which conveyingthe, molten copper to a 'chamber containing 'carpon.

- compartment by carbon.

' gases.

. consists in reducing copperuntil the greater portion of i consists in first preheating and then melting copper in a melting compartment, running;

the molten copper into a separate compartment, and refining the copper in the latter o 27 The process of refining copper which consists in charging-the copper into a chamber, continuously melting down the copper, transferring the same to a purifying chamber containing carbon, and casting -the.copper from said purifying chamber; v 28. The process of treating copper which consists" in continuously charging the copper into a} heating chamber treating the copper in the heating chamber to an oil fuel flame until it becomes molten, subjecting the incoming charge of 'copperto' the outgoing flame, conducting the molten copper to a separate chamber orcompartment containing'carbon, and purifying the copper-in the latter chamber.

29. Theprocess of refining copper which consists in preheating the copper, melting the preheated copper, carrying the melted copper out of contact with contaminating elements,

and refining the same by bringing it into contac t with the carbon. 30. The process of refining copperwhich consists in exposing the copper to the heat of-a furnace and gases until reduced to a molten condition,- then removing the copper from .exposure to' said gases and into intimate contact with carbon to purify the cop- 1 per. I

31. The process of refining copper which consists in exposing copper to the heat of a furnace and its gases until reduced to a molten conditiomremoving the molten copper'from exposure to said gases and into intimate contact with carbon to purify the copper,.and then conducting the copper to, a .mold out of contact with said furnace 32. The process of refining copper which to a molten coil-- dition by heat, removingthe copper "from exposure to the source'of' heat, bringing the copper into intimate cont'aa'tl. with carbon 7 t "e" copper oxid.

is reduced, and-then conducting the copper to a mold and out of contact with the fur nacegases.

33. The process of refining copper which my hand, at :the city, county, and State of consists in preheating copper,.subjecting the New York, this twenty-second day of 00- 10 I preheated copper to an oil fuel flame until tober, 1912.

it becomes molten, transferring the melted 5 copper out of contact with the'flame and A E I the gases thereof, and bringing it into con- In presence oftact with carbon. I. RICHARDS, y

In witness whereof I have hereuntoset Y A. C, OCO EiLJ 

